Strength & Build: What Your Body Needs to Be Great

As men age, muscle becomes harder to build, and strength is hardly gained. In fact, most of them start to lose muscle at around the age of 30 and about 8 percent lean muscle mass is lost every decade after that. This is because of the changes experienced in the blood cells, difficulties converting amino acids into muscle tissues, and the levels of testosterone used to build muscle get lower. Here is what your body needs for strength and build:

Protein Shakes

These are considered to be easy sources of protein for those trying to boost their pre-workout energy levels such as bodybuilders and athletes. Shakes give the body a good amount of easily processed and absorbed proteins. There are plenty of protein sources such as red meat. However, consuming meat after a workout causes the body to also absorb unnecessary fat. The fat takes time before being broken down by the body meaning nutrients don’t reach the muscles for some time. On the other hand, shakes give fast acting protein allowing the nutrients to be absorbed in little or no time to help repair the micro-damaged muscle fibers resulting from a workout. This is also a great way to mix in other things that you may want to include in your diet, such as fruit, vegetables, and supplements (like those you can get from SDI Labs).

Carbohydrates

When planning a muscle building diet, carbohydrates are often overlooked while they are a critical group of food for fueling muscle build and strength. Understand that carbs are quickly converted into glycogen which is then stored in the muscles to give power during a workout. Men who practice strength training at least twice every week need some calories from carbohydrates each day. This does not, however, advocate for poor quality carbohydrates but rather the healthy ones which are also low in fat including cereals and whole grain bread.

Strength Training

Before embarking on strength training, warm up first to ensure that your nervous system fires on all cylinders. What you need is to recruit large muscle fiber without having to accumulate byproducts such as hydrogen ions and lactate. Strength training helps in working out the major muscle groups including the back, legs, abdomen, hips, arms, chest, and the shoulders. Being a major part of the fitness equation, it comprises of weight lifting, the use of resistance bands, sit-ups, pull-ups, and push-ups. It is advisable to support this form of training with good nutrition. Fats, proteins, carbohydrates and getting enough calories boost the levels of energy.

Fat Intake

Understand that the body relies on heart healthy fat such as walnuts, extra-virgin olive oil, almonds, fatty fish, and avocados to give energy to the muscles and must, therefore, be consumed on a daily basis. However, the fat intake should fall between 20 to 30 percent of the calories consumed.

High body fat, lack of muscle mass, digestive problems, and lack of energy can all be influenced by an unhealthy diet and poor exercising. With these guidelines, you can gain the build and energy you need.